Google has celebrated the late Samuel Okwaraji’s 55th posthumous birthday with a doodle on its home page reports Completesports.com.
The doodle depicted Okwaraji in the Super Eagles green home jersey in action with his iconic dreadlocks.
Okwaraji died on the 12th of August 1989 at the National Stadium Surulere during a World Cup Qualifier against Angola.
Related: Google Honours Keshi With Doodle
This is not the first time the tech giants is making a Google Doodle for a late Nigerian international.
In the past, Google eulogized the legacy of iconic former Super Eagles captain and coach Stephen Keshi who died in 2016 with a doodle.
18 Comments
A true patriot n proper Hero. When fans start talking about some of our present day egocentric players as most patriotic, I can only tell their ages without bothering to ask. May this blessed soul rest in JEHOVAH GOD’S bossom n be 4ever remembered by the divine forces.
Nice chatting yesterday.
Oh yeah. Honesty felt nice talking to a brother. Sure gonna make out time.
Cool speak to you soon…
Heroes come in every shape and sizes..
Heroes are born in every generation..
But a Hero legacy is irreplaceable..
As the Fuji Maestro ,sir Kollington sang,’ o Okwaraji,o Okwaraji..’ ; Your name is forever remembered..and your legacy sustained in the past,present or future….
Sure. @ Hush
and in the words/lyrics of kebe n kwara….”ti wo n ba gba boolu l’orun ko ge won lege ara”
He didn’t have too many caps for the nation, but in the few games he played he showed he had a large heart. The sobriquet ‘african gullit’ did fit him to the hilt.
Continue to rest Sam….!
But complete sports, this other picture beside his portrait isn’t his. There is no point dishonoring his memory with pictures that do not tell his story.
OKWARAJI….gone too soon. Still remember his left footed INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE against Cameroun in Maroc ’88. What a goal that was. A top, top player. It is highly unfortunate that after the sacrifices our players make, they and their families are abandoned and left to wallow in abject poverty.
Yes. May the labour of our heroes past never be in vain.
Super Eagles class of 2019, go and win the Cup of Nations for the following:
Okwaraji
Yekini
Uche Okafor
Olubayo Adefemi
Wilfred Agbonevare
Thompson Oliha
Endurance Idahor
Destiny Iyonu and a host of others.
You may be gone, but you are all not forgotten.
I love you as much today as when your football dazzle its way to my heart.
Rest in peace all. We love you but God loves you most.
Super Eagles forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysxPYph60Xc
NEWS GUYS! DON’T KNOW HOW TRUE THIS IS! CSN HELP US CONFIRM THIS
BREAKING! Henry Onyekuru leaves Galatasaray, set to join Bayern Munich
May 21, 2019 9:14 am
Super Eagles forward Henry Onyekuru has left Turkish Giants Galatasaray after winning the domestic double with the Istanbul-based side.
According to reports from Istanbul, Galatasaray was unable to extend the Nigerian’s loan deal as parent club Everton has concluded plans to sell the forward to Bayern Munich in Germany.
Ribery and Robben’s farewell to the German giants Bayern Munich have led to the ultimate transfer bid for Onyekuru.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray is preparing to fill the gap of Onyekuru with two names, Ryan Babel and Valentine Ozornwafor.
May his soul rest in peace. God bless Nigeria!!!
In the clip provided by Pompei above, the way the Green Eagles transitioned from defence to attack was simply and utterly brilliant.
Having wrestled possession from the Cameroonians, Okwaraji and Co worked the ball from defense with no less than 13 touches before Yekini (I think) squared the ball to Okwaraji just outside the 18 yard box for the former VFB Stuttgart midfielder to unleash a ferocious shot that tore through the net.
In more ways than one, Okwaraji was a player ahead of his time. At a time when some football could not speak fluent English, Okwaraji paid a lot of attention to education having also being a qualified lawyer who had a masters in international law from the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome.
Oh, that Super Eagles class of 1988 Afcon were a class act who suffered injustice in more ways than one.
-Cameroon was given a dodgy penalty in the final that won the match for them.
-Nigeria’s goal in the same final – scored by Henry Nwosu – was disallowed for no just reason.
-Okwaraji had a legitimate goal recorded as an own goal after his goal-bound effort slightly scraped the body of an opposition player after another brilliant build up play and impressive contribution from Yekini (video below).
https://youtu.be/UdcYaOxWtvo
Deo, great points. Henry Nwosu’s header was a goal. Disallowing it was daylight robbery. And to add insult to injury, Roger Milla’s theatrical dive in our box was unjustly rewarded with a dubious penalty, as you said. If CAF was so determined to hand the trophy to Cameroun, they should have just done so. No point wasting our time, having us play the match. In my opinion, and I know I speak for many fans, Nigerian and non-Nigerian, the true champion of Maroc ’88 is Nigeria.
@Deo..from the video, I think the ball was going off target until it was deflected…that made it an own goal. Watch again.
Sean, thanks so much for your feedback.
I think back in those days, there were not the benefits of looking at such an incident from multiple angles (like technological advances allow these days).
So, from the angle of the filming above, I can understand the case for saying that, perhaps the ball was going away from goal.
However, I will like to contend that 2 or 3 more camera angles from the side of the goal post might cast doubt to the notion that the ball wasn’t destined for the back of the net.
As the matter, in my mind, is not conclusive, I will give the benefit of doubt to Okwaraji and award the goal to him.
Cheers.
Oh Okwaraji! oooohh Okwaraji! Iwo nikan Lowo mama iwo nikan lowo baba. Ton ban gbabolu Lorun ko ge won lege That 88 Green Eagles was the beginning of the greatest SuperEagles of all time and it was after that tournament in Morocco that the Late Augustus Aikomu renamed them the SuperEagles.
Oh Okwaraji! oooohh Okwaraji! Iwo nikan Lowo mama iwo nikan lowo baba. Ton ban gbabolu Lorun ko ge won lege ara.That 88 Green Eagles was the beginning of the greatest SuperEagles of all time and it was after that tournament in Morocco that the Late Augustus Aikomu renamed them the SuperEagles.